The World Cup has seen some fantastic games and goals but perhaps just as notably, some brilliantly funny moments. Here, Sportsmail looks at the top 10 things that got people laughing in Brazil and at home.

Alejandro Sabella's big slip

As Gonzalo Higuain’s strike thundered off the top of the crossbar, Argentina manager Alejandro Sabella bizarrely gave the illusion that he was fainting, careering backwards towards the dugout and having to be caught by a member of his backroom staff.

The 59-year-old, closed his eyes, leaned back, and collapsed backwards to produce one of this tournaments most bizarre moments.

Frustration: Sabella closes his eyes and begins to lean back after Higuain smashes the bar

Too far: Sabella continues on his way backwards and begins to lose his balance

Spin: Sabella begins to hurtle towards the dugout as he falls down the gap behind the pitch

Smash: Ryu continues his assault on Sabella in this meme as he forces his up off the ground with a punch

Walking the plank: Sabella is depicted as doing a bungee jump from a high crane

Germany's terrible free kick

As four players stood over the ball, it appeared that the Germans had a subtly designed routine in place to surprise Algeria in the round of 16 clash.

However, the scheme (and Thomas Muller) fell flat on its face as the German stumbled and collapsed head-first onto the turf as he attempted to dummy the ball, with team-mate then chipping the ball straight to the Algeria defence.

Defender Benedikt Howedes claimed after the match that the stumble was all part of the masterplan: ‘We practiced that free-kick in training. The final chip wasn’t quite right’. We don’t doubt you for a moment, Benedikt….

One: Muller begins his run-up for the free kick

Two: But after Schweinsteiger steps over the ball, Muller falls to the floor

Three: Muller crawls a couple of steps and then launches himself back up, over the ball

Floor: He runs away from the ball, into the box, but the free kick taker cannot find him

Five: Muller speeds off, much to the bemusement of those watching at home

With the eyes of the world watching on, falling flat on your backside is never the most advisable course of action.

But that’s the fate that befell Brazil’s golden boy Neymar, as he sprinted over to celebrate Thiago Silva’s opening goal against Colombia in the World Cup quarter-final.

His team would go on to win the tie but the match ended in heart-breaking fashion for the Barcelona man, as a brutal challenge by Juan Zuniga left him the Brazilian with damaged vertebrae.

Poised: Brazil team-mates gather in the corner after taking the lead against Colombia on Friday

Disappearing act: Neymar (left) slips as he goes to join his team-mates in celebrating the opening goal

James and the giant grasshopper

It sounds like the sequel to a Roald Dahl novel but there was no happy ending for the brilliant James Rodriguez as the star of this World Cup headed out of the competition despite scoring a penalty against Brazil.

His Colombia side were defeated 2-1 by in the quarter-final on Friday night despite his late consolation goal, which was most memorable for the giant green insect that perched on his sleeve as he coolly tucked away the spot-kick.

After setting midfield Rottweiler’s Fernandinho and Paulinho onto Rodriguez, even Brazil’s nipping grasshoppers couldn’t prevent the playmaker having a say on this quarter-final.

Incoming: The green bug can be seen flying towards James Rodriguez during the World Cup quarter-final

On target: The insect finds its mark on Rodriguez's arm and attaches itself to Colombia's No 10

Look closely: You can see the invader clinging to Rodriguez's sleeve as he celebrates his penalty

VIDEO Top 5 Misses from World Cup qualifying

Linesman plays it cool with Iker Casillas

We've all been there. Offering your hand out for the respect you deserve, before having to style out that rejection seconds after.

This was the case for the linesman in the tunnel as a dignitary greeted the officials and the captains ahead of Spain’s group stage defeat against Chile.

In fairness, he recovered swiftly, swiping his hand across his head before sharing a joke with Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas.

Ouch: The linesman his snubbed for a handshake ahead of the Spain vs Chile game

Super cool: He tries to style it out, rubbing his head instead

Sympathy: Spain goalkeeper has a laugh with the linesman after the incident

Mathieu Valbuena's oversized mascot

Poor old Mathieu Valbuena is only 5 foot 6 inches, so it seemed a little cruel when FIFA assigned the tallest mascot to the Frenchman ahead of the quarter-final against Germany.

The midfielder just about peers above the young boy and he will have felt particularly perturbed to see the commanding midfielder Paul Pogba paired with the smallest mascot.

Not much difference: Valbuena (left) had a mascot almost as tall as him against Germany

Harsh: Internet pranksters swapped the heads of Valbuena and his mascot around

Luis Suarez's ridiculous biting defence

Memo to Luis Suarez: If you’re going to sink your teeth into an opponent, you probably shouldn’t give the game away by then clutching your jaw in pain. You’d have think he’d have learned by the third time.

This image, one of the defining moments of the tournament, also left Suarez’s post-match comments rather flawed, as the Uruguayan complained: ‘I had contact with his shoulder, chest against shoulder and I got a knock to the eye – nothing more.’

Bite night! Luis Suarez holds his teeth after the biting incident during the World Cup against Giorgio Chiellini

Not fooling anyone: Suarez holds his teeth after sinking them into the shoulder of Giorgio Chiellini

Cover up! Suarez holds his face to suggest that he had only collided with the Italian defender

Cover up? Suarez holds his teeth in pain after the incident suggesting he collided with Giorgio Chiellini

Greg Dyke reading Death in Brazil

After England collapsed to their worst World Cup performance for 58 years, FA chairman Greg Dyke could hardly have picked a more painfully appropriate title than Peter Robb’s ‘A Death in Brazil’.

The increasingly erratic FA chief was pictured reading the book just days after England’s exit had been confirmed following defeats by Uruguay and Italy in the group stage.

Arsene Wenger and Daniel Craig: two names you thought you’d never hear in the same sentence. Well, at least until the Arsenal manager appeared on the Copacabana in a skimpy pair of sky blue swimming trunks and paraded down the beach to perform his finest Baywatch impression.

The 62-year-old looked in fine fettle and then demonstrated his athleticism with a game of beach football, replicating Robin van Persie’s magnificent diving header against Spain to wow the locals.

Who's that? A male figure starts to emerge from the choppy waters on Ipanema beach

Is it James Bond? Despite wearing similar trunks to Daniel Craig (right) it is actually Arsene Wenger (left)

On my head: Arsene Wenger plays a game of volleyball on the beach in Brazil

With speculation that Alejandro Sabella was struggling to command the respect of the Argentina dressing room, Ezequiel Lavezzi added fuel to the fire by squiring his gaffer with water as the coach attempted to remonstrate with him during the 3-2 win over Nigeria.

Between taking swigs from a water bottle Lavezzi - with his back to Sabella - appeared to intentionally squirt water over his shoulder and on to the Argentina boss’ suit.

Between swigs: Lavezzi squirts some water over his shoulder

In flight: The stream of water arcing towards Argentina boss Alejandro Sabella